


Rory Learns A Lesson

by afteriwake



Series: All Of Time And Space [14]
Category: Doctor Who, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-03
Updated: 2012-07-03
Packaged: 2017-11-09 03:07:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/450575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Do not <i>ever</i>, if you value your self-worth, say or imply that Sherlock is stupid. Rory Williams learns this lesson the hard way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rory Learns A Lesson

**Author's Note:**

> **lotl101** asked for a fic where Sherlock does a “Sherlock scan” of Rory. Keep in mind, Rory is not the BAMF we all know him to be in this AU and he’s twelve and kind of stupid in this fic. You’ve been warned.

“Sherlock! Is it okay if Rory comes over?” A twelve-year-old Amy yelled it into the entryway, the door partially closed on her. She knew Sherlock was already there because he’d had a shorter day than she did.

“You’ve already brought him, haven’t you?” he called from the living room.

“How does he _do_ that?” Rory said from the outside side of the door.

“Dunno,” Amy told him, looking at him. Then she stuck her head in again. “Yes, he’s right outside,” she called back to Sherlock. “He offered to walk me home since you weren’t picking me up.”

There was a pause, and then a loud sigh. “All right. But only for an hour, and please leave me in peace.”

“Got it.” She opened up the door and they both walked in. Amy continued up the stairs but Rory stood in the entryway. “Rory,” she said.

“I want to know how he does it.” He walked into the living room, where Sherlock was looking at a file. 

Amelia had expected him to move away from Leadworth when he’d turned eighteen, which was a month ago, but he said there was something keeping him here. She’d half-hoped it was her but knew even then that it wasn’t realistic. She stomped back down the stairs and went up to Rory, grabbing the bag on his shoulder. “Come on, Rory, leave him alone.”

“How do you do it?” he asked Sherlock, and Amy slapped her palm lightly on her face. This was not going to be pretty.

“How do I do what?” he asked, not looking up from the papers he had pulled out of his file.

“Know, like, everything. You don’t even have to take a good look at something and you _know_. Like, how did you know I was already here?”

“Because on days when I don’t pick Amelia up she comes in, finds out what I’m doing, and then does her homework. If she didn’t do that and she asked if you could come over I deduced you were already here.” He shuffled some photos around on the coffee table. “Now please. Leave me alone.”

“Rory,” Amy hissed, grabbing his arm and pulling. She got him to move slightly towards her but then he twisted his arm and got free and stepped back to Sherlock.

“I bet I can tell you what you’re doing,” Rory said. Amy hid her face behind her hands and cringed as Sherlock slowly looked up at Rory from his photos.

“Try,” he said in a low voice.

“That’s a picture of Carl Powers,” he said, pointing to the photo at the top of the pile. “You think he was murdered.”

Amy peeked out of her fingers and looked at Sherlock, who was looking at Rory in surprise. “Amazing. You _actually_ got something right,” he murmured.

Rory turned a little red at that, and Amy saw a chance. She grabbed his arm again. “Come on, let him solve the case. He’s been trying for six months.”

“If he’s as smart as he thinks he is he should have realized by now it was just an accident,” Rory said.

Amelia happened to be looking at Sherlock as those words came out of Rory’s mouth. She felt only one phrase would fit. She didn’t curse often, because everyone disapproved, but right now there was no other choice in words. “Oh, shit,” she said quietly, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to cover her ears.

“Let me tell you some things about you, if you think I’m daft, or as plainly stupid as you and everyone in your bloody family is,” Sherlock said, standing up. “You feel inferior. That’s part of the reason you hang around with Amelia and that hellion Melody, because they have power and standing in your school rank. Without them you’re not even noticeable, a tiny blip on the radar not only of everyone in your school but everyone in Leadworth. You let Amelia boss you around partly because you have no backbone but also partly because you’re infatuated with her. If she ever does the unthinkable and decides to pursue a romantic relationship with you you will get jealous constantly, you will try and change her from the perfectly acceptable person she is and you’ll treat her like something you stepped on in the street but couch it in a way that makes her think you love her. If she is as smart as I’ve always considered her to be she’ll end her association with you, find a better person to pursue a relationship with and get the hell out of this town as quickly as possible while you stay here and rot. So for the time being take your small mind and your false bravado and get out of my sight.”

Rory had blanched at that point, and looked up to Sherlock in a mix of terror and awe. He swallowed thickly, then brushed past Amy and bolted out the door. Amy looked at him go, then turned back to Sherlock, who had sat back down. His jaw was clenched and one of his hands was balled up in a fist. “You didn’t have to be that mean,” Amy said, crossing her arms and staring at him.

“Do you share his opinion of me,” he said. It didn’t even sound like a question the way he said it.

“Duh, no. I think you’re the smartest person in Leadworth. If you say he was murdered then he was murdered. Someday you’ll prove it.” She could see him relax, his hand uncurl and his jaw get less rigid.

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” he said quietly. “But one thing I abhor is people assuming I’m stupid. Just because the police won’t listen to me doesn’t mean I’m _wrong_.”

She went over to his side without any hesitation and sat next to him. “I’m only a kid, but I know you really well. Or at least I think I do. I’ve only spent a good chunk of the last…what, seven years around you? Even when I was little I could tell you knew a lot. I want to be smart like you, but I’m kind of dumb.”

“You are not dumb,” he said, turning to look at her. “You may never be as smart as I am but you’re not dumb. Don’t let anyone, especially Williams, ever let you think that.”

“Face it. I hate school. I’m not going to go to university. I’m going to stay here my whole life. I probably will end up with Rory, but maybe everything you just told him will get him to be better.”

“Don’t count on it,” he said under his breath.

She punched his shoulder. “Why are you still here, anyway? You should be in London, solving cases and stuff with Scotland Yard. I mean, you’re eighteen. You can leave any time you want. And you should.”

He looked at her. “If I leave you’ll have to deal with someone else.”

She shrugged. “So what? I’ll terrorize everyone who tries until Aunt Sharon realizes I don’t need a babysitter anymore.” He grinned at that slightly. “It kind of makes me feel good you’re staying because of me, but you need to get out of here. Go to London and do something with all those smarts you have.”

“I never would have believed I’d get good advice from a twelve-year-old,” he said, shaking his head. “You may think you’re dumb, but you’re mature for your age. That will count for something someday.”

“So tell you what. You go back to work on this, I’ll make us something to eat, and then while we eat you can figure out how you’re going to break it to my aunt and your mother that you’re leaving. And then just _go_.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever meet anyone like you,” he said with a slight sense of wonder.

“If you do and she’s legal, marry her. It’ll be the best decision you make. Because she’ll care about you and take care of you and give you space to do what you need to do.” She shrugged. “If I meet another guy like you I’m going to marry him.”

“That may be the best compliment I’ve ever received.” 

“Well, I’d marry you now but that’s just not going to happen. And when you’re gone you’ll forget about me.”

He shook his head. “I won’t forget you.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“I promise,” he said with a nod.

She grinned at him. “What do you want to eat?” she asked, getting up.

“A grilled cheese sandwich?” he said.

“Coming right up,” she said as she headed into the kitchen. It was sad that he was going to take her advice, she thought to herself, but there were bigger and better things waiting for Sherlock Holmes, and she didn’t want to be what held him back. This was the best way for things to be, and that was all that mattered.


End file.
